Sheet bowing support for oven conveyers



Dec. 28, 1943. c, H. wH-lTAKl-:R

SHEET BOWING ASUPPORT FOR OVEN CONVEYERS Filed Sept. 14, 1942 Dec. 28,1943. c, H. WHITAKER i l SHEET BOWING SUPPORT FOR OVEN CONVEYERS FiledSept. 14, 1942 2 SheeitS-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 28, 1943 SHEET BOWINGSUPPORT FOR OVEN CONVEYERS Charles H. Whitaker, Evanston,

Continental Can C ompany, Inc.,

Ill., assigner to New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 14, 1942, SerialNo. 458,272

13 Claims.

The invention relates generally to oven structures wherein provision ismade for baking or drying lacquer or enamel or other protective ordecorative coatings on the metal sheets from which can bodies or endsare to be formed, and it primarily seeks to provide certain new anduseful improvements in conveyer structures employed in conveying thesheets through the oven structure.

In ovens of the character stated the sheets to be dried or baked areconveyed through the oven chamber on an endless conveyer, travelling ingenerally parallel spaced relation supported by bail-like memberscarried by the conveyer. Incidental to the travelling of the conveyerover the supporting devices in the oven the bail-like sheet supportingand spacing members are caused to vibrate in greater or lesser degreeaccording to the degree of speed and unevenness of travel of theconveyer, and since the ilexible sheets lie against the vibratingbail-like supporting members the surfaces thereof which contact saidmembers become objectionably marred by these vibratory contacts. It isthe purpose of the invention to provide in a conveyer of the characterstated, novel means for supporting the sheets in a slightly bowedcondition effective to render them relatively rigid and not freelysubject to vibration, and also to cause said bowed sheets to avoidcontact with the bail-like supports or frame structures along any linesof extended length.

In its more detailed nature, the invention resides in providing aconveyer structure for ovens of the character stated which includesnovel upstanding sheet supporting frames arranged to support the sheetsin generally parallel spaced relation, each said frame having thereontwo outwardly disposed sheet edge rests and a centrally disposed sheetedge deflector placed a distance out of transverse alignment with therests so as to cause the engaging sheet edge to bow in a manner forcausing the sheet to be supported in relatively rigid fashion with thecontacts between the sheet and the supporting frame being made at theouter edges only of the sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide conveyer structure of thecharacter stated in which the sheet edge rests are formed to provideV-shaped edge seating crotches, and the edge deflector takes the form ofa downwardly ascending wedge having its high point or crest disposed atabout the same level as the bottoms of the crotches and out oftransverse 'alignment therewith.

With the above and other objects in view that supporting will'hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more fullyunderstood by following the detailed description, the appended claimsand the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical cross section of one flight of a conveyer chainembodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the chain structure shown inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail vertical longitudinal section taken onthe line 3--3 on Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail vertical longitudinal section taken onthe line 4 4 on Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan View of the frame shown in Figure l, the bowing of asheet as related to its frame being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary face view illustrating a slightly modied formof frame structure.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the conveyer structureshown in Figure 6, parts being broken away to more clearly illustratethe sheet edge deilector members.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view illustrating one of the sheet edgerest elements shown in Figures 6 and 7.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, 5designates the cross supports, and the longitudinal conveyer tracks of.a conventional form of oven structure. The tracks B serve as supportsfor the effective ight of an improved endless conveyer structuredesigned to convey coated sheets through the oven in generally parallelspaced relation for the purpose of having the freshly applied coatingthereon of lacquer or enamel, or other protective or decorative coating,dried or baked. This conveyer includes bail-like supports or framestructures against which the sheets rest and which serve to support themin proper erect, spaced relation, and it is to the improvement of thisform of supporting frame and the connection thereof in the endless chainstructure to which the present invention is directed.

Each sheet supporting frame structure includes a bottom cross bar l andtwo side standards 8 upstanding from said bar. The standards preferablyare formed of square bar metal and are welded or otherwise secured attheir lower ends to the cross bar 1 in the manner clearly illustrated inFigures 1 and 4 of the drawings. A top bar 9 is riveted or otherwisesecured as at I0 across the tops of the side standards 8, and it will beobserved by reference to Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings thatend'portions of this bar are extended laterally beyond the side standards 3and are bent slightly out of the transverse line of the main body of thebar t for a purpose that will later become apparent. Auxiliary extensionbars l2 are secured as at l to the sire standards 8 in spaced relationbeneath the extensions l l, and these extensions also are bent out of'the transverse line of the main body of the top bar ll and serve assupporting means when short sheets are being conveyed which do notextend up far enough to properly contact the top bar 9, ll.

A central standard lil is provided intern-iodiately of the sidestandards 8, and is bent upwardly and laterally as at l to form a Y witha companion brace member it which is secured as at il to the centralstandard, said brace member and the upwardly and laterally bent portionl5 of the central standard being secured as at lil to the top bar d inthe manner clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

An edge rest member lll is welded or otherwise secured as at 2Q to thebottom bar 'l' beside each standard G in the manner clearly illustratedin Figures l and l of the drawings, and it will be observed by referenceto Figure Il that each of the members lil is angled upwardly and in thedirection ci the length of the conveyor, and in diverging spacedrelation to the adjacent portion of the side standards t2 to form asheet edge seating crotch 2l.

A wedge delector plate E2 is welded or otherwise secured to the centralstandard ifi in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures l and 3, thewidest portion or crest of this plate being disposed at approximatelythe level of the bottom of the edge rest crotches 2l and out oftransverse alignment therewith so that a sheet having its bottom edgeresting in the two crotches 'fil and engaging the crest 23 will be bowedin the inanner clearly illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 5 so as tomake the sheet relatively rigid. it will be observed by reierence toFigures l and 5 oi the drawings that this manner of supporting eachsheet not only serves to bow the sheet and make it relatively rigid, butalso provides for point contact of the sheet in the two crotches El andagainst the deiiector plate crest at and also at the two points 2li, 2:3on the top bar 9, il, or 25, 25 on the auxiliary extension pieces it,according to the size of sheet being conveyed.

It is well known that ilexible sheets lying directly againstconventionally formed supporting bails are objectionably marred byvibrational contact with said balls during movement of the conveyer. Byconstructing the bail-like supports or frames in the manner hereinabovedescribed and resting the sheets thereon in the manner described whichprovides for sheet edge contacts only with the frames, thisobjectionable marring o1" the sheets is avoided. It will be obvious byreference to Figure 5 of the drawings that the bending of the barextension portions ll or l2 greatly aids the purpose of providing sheetedge contact only between the travelling sheets and the bail-like frameswhich support them while they are travelling through the oven.

In order to provide for proper connection of the sheet supporting framesin the endless conveyer structure, each bottom cross bar l has a bracket26 welded or otherwise secured at each laterally projected end thereofin the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. Each sidebracket 2E has a horizontal leg El to which a U-shaped hinge link member28 is secured as at 2t. Each hinge link element 28 is opposed by anL-shaped link side member 3s, the elements 28 and 3G comprising eachlink set being secured in spaced relation in the manner illustrated inFigures 1 and 2 of the drawings by cross pins 3 l. The cross pins 3l areequipped with rollers adapted to roll over the conveys-r supportingrails or tracks t, and the link sets are connected by connecting links33 so as to form an endless conveyer structure.

In Figures G, 7 and 8 of the drawings there is illustrated a niodiedform of the invention in which the main body of each sheet supportingframe is constructed substantially in the manner hereinbeiore describedand in which the manner connecting the frames in the endless conveyor ismodified.

In this modiiied construction the bottom or base cross bar may beeliminated and each conveyer linlr may be constructed to comprise a'il-shaped side member 35 opposed in spaced relation by an l..-shapedside .member said members 35 and being secured in spaced relation bycross pins 3l having antifriction rollers mounted thereon. Suitableconnecting links Sill join the units in the formation oi the comn pleteendless conveyor structure.

lThe link side members have their opposed parallel horizontal legportions apertured and the lower ends of the side and central. standardrods lil are extended downwardly through the apertures and are split andspread as at lll beneath the members 35i so as to retain the assenibly.

The sheet edge supporting side crotches are formed between the upwardlyand longitudinally inclined rest elements d2, each said element having abase i3 which is notched as at irl to straddle the respective upright orstandard lill, and being welded or otherwise secured to the respectivelink member 35.' The wedge rest base or plate l5 is welded or otherwisesecured to the central standard just above the link member 3b andcooperates with the rest crotch rnernbers in bowing the supported sheetsin the same manner hereinb-efore described,

lt is of course to be understood that the details of structure and thearrangement oi' parts may be variously changed and modiied Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A conveyor for conveying sheets through a treating oven and includinga conveying body, said sheets being rectangular and presenting top andbottom and side edge portions, and individual transverse supportingframes mounted on and upstanding in generally parallel spaced relationfrom said conveying body, each frame having thereon means engageablewith a sheet at its bottom edge only at at least three points two ofwhich lie in a common upright transverse plane and the otherintermediately of the two and disposed out oi said plane in the generalline of travel of the conveyor thereby to bow the sheet about animaginary upright center for making the sheet more rigid while beingconveyed than it normally is.

2. A conveyer chain for conveying sheets through a treating oven andformed or connected links, said sheets being rectangular and presentingtop and bottom and side edge portions, individual transverse sheetsupporting frames mounted on and upstanding in generally parallel spacedrelation from certain of said links,

each said frame including sheet bottom edge supportingl means, and atransverse rest bar supported on the frame above said bottom edgesupporting means in position for extending across a supported sheet alimited distance below vthe top edge portion thereof, and extensions onsaid bar extending laterally and angularly toward a 7 the bottom edge ofa sheet, and a transverse bar supported on said frame above said restcrotches in position for extending across a supportedsheet a limiteddistance below the top edge portion thereof and having portions thereofbent angularly'lout ofthe transverse plane of the frame and toward asheet supported in said crotches so as to make point. contact with asupported sheet only at each side edge thereof, one of each said pair ofcrotches being disposed at each side of a central portion of therespective frame, and deector means between each pair of crotches andspaced from the transverse planein which said crotches lie forcooperating with said crotches in bowing a supported sheet about animaginary upright center.

4. A conveyer chain for conveying sheets through a treating oven andformed, of connected links, said sheets being rectangular and presentingtop and bottom and side edge portions, individual transverse sheetsupporting frames mounted on and upstanding in generally parallel spacedrelation from certain oi said links, each said frame having a pair ofnarrow rest crotches thereon in which to receive and support the loweredge of a sheet, at least one upstanding standard, a transverse barsupported across the upper portion of said standard, and auxiliarytransverse bar members extending laterally from said standard at a levelbelow said transverse bar to act as supporting means for sheets tooshort to contact said transverse bar, said transverse bar and saidauxiliary transverse bar members having portions disposed angularly withrespect to the plane of a supported sheet and engageable only in pointcontact at each side edge of a supported sheet.

5. A conveyer chain for conveying sheets through a treating oven andformed of connected links, individual transverse sheet supporting framesmounted on and upstanding in generally parallel spaced relation fromcertain of said links, each said frame having a pair of narrow restcrotches thereon in which to receive and support the lower edge of asheet, at

least one upstanding standard, a transverse bar supported across theupper portion of said standard, and auxiliary transverse bar membersextending laterally from said standard at a level below said transversebar to act as supporting means for sheets too short to contact saidtransverse bar, said transverse bar and said bar members having portionsthereof bent out of the transverse plane of the frame so as to make edgecontacts only with a supported sheet at each side thereof.

6. In aconveyer. ofthe character described, an upstanding sheet support,two transversely spaced and i aligned sheet bottom redge supportingcrotches, and a deflector element vdisposed between and out oftransverse alignment with said crotches and engageable with the bottom`edge portion of a sheet in 'cooperation with lsaid crotches for bowingthe sheet to impart thereto a' greater degree of rigidity than isnormally inherent therein so as to hold said sheet against objectionablevibratory` contact with the upstanding sheet support. f

7. In a conveyer of the character described, an upstanding sheetsupport, spaced and aligned sheet bottom edge supporting crotches, and adeilector element disposed between and out of transverse alignment withsaid crotches and engageable with the'bottomedge portion of a sheet incooperation with said crotches for bowing the sheet to impart thereto agreater degree of rigidity than is normally inherent therein so as tohold said sheet against objectionable vibratory contact with the upstanding sheet support, a transverse bar supported across the Lipper portionof said upstanding sheet support and having portions thereof bent intoposition for making point contact only with upper side portions of saidsheet.

8. In a conveyer of the character described, an upstanding sheet supportincluding two side standards and a central standard, a rest elementassociated with each side standard and forming therewith a V-notchwherein to receive the bottom edge of a sheet, and a deilector elementassociated with the central standard so constructed and arranged that itwill engage and displace a central bottom edge portion of a sheetresting in said Vnotches and thus bow the sheet and impart more rigiditythereto than is normally inherent therein.

9. In a conveyer of the character described, an upstanding sheet supportincluding two side standards and a central standard, a rest elementassociated with each side standard and forming therewith a V-notchwherein to receive the bottom edge of a sheet, and a deflector elementassociated with the central standard so constructed and arranged that itwill engage and displace a central bottom edge portion of a sheetresting in v said V-notches and thus bow the sheet and irnpart morerigidity thereto than is normally inherent therein, and a bottom bardisposed transversely and forming a support for said standards f andsaid rest elements.

10. In a conveyer of the an upstanding sheet standards and a centralstandard, a rest element associated with each side standard and formingtherewith a V-notch wherein to receive the bottom edge of a sheet, and adeflector element associated with the central standard so constructedand arranged that it will engage' and displace a central bottom edgeportion of a sheet resting in said V-notches and thus bow and impartmore rigidity thereto than is normally inherent therein, and a bottombar disposed transversely and forming a support for said standards andsaid restelements, said deflector element constituting a wedge platesupported by the central standard with its crest disposed downwardly andat about the level of the bottoms of the V-notches.

11. In a conveyer of the character described, an upstanding sheetsupport including two side standards and a central standard, va resteles character described,

two transversely support including two side the sheet ment associatedwith each side standard and formingr therewith a V-notch wherein toreceive the bottom edge of a sheet, and a deilector element associatedwith the central standard so constructed and arranged that it willengage and displace a central bottom edge portion of a sheet resting insaid ii-notches and thus bow the sheet and impart more rigidity theretothan is normally inherent therein, a bottom bar disposed transverselyand forming a support for said standards and said rest elements, chainlink elements and means connecting the ends of said bottom bar tocertain of said link elements.

12. In a conveyer of the character described, an upstandinf; sheetsupport including two side standards and a central standard, a restelement associated with each side standard and forming therewith aV-notch wherein to receive the bottom edge oi a sheet, and a deiectorelement associated with the central standard so constructed and arrangedthat it will engage and displace a central bottom edge portion of asheet resting in said if-notches thus bow the sheet and impart morerigidity thereto than is normally inherent therein, said deector elementconsti tuting a plate supported by the central standard with its crestdisposed downwardly and at about the level of the bottoms of the V-notches, and chain link elements, said standards being connected to and.supported by certain of said link elements, and said rest elements andsaid deiiector element being directly mounted on said standards.

13. In a conveyer of the character described, an opstanding sheetsupport including two side standards and a central standard, a restelement associated with each side standard and forming therewith aV-notch wherein to receive the bottom edge of a sheet, and a deflectorelement-associated with the central standard so constructed and arrangedthat it will engage and displace a central bottom edge portion of asheet resting in said V-notches and thus bow the sheet and impart morerigidity thereto than is normally inherent therein, said deflectorelement constitoting a wedge plate supported by the central standardwith its crest disposed downwardly and at about the level ofthe bottomsof the V-notches, and chain link elements, said standards beingconnected to and supported by certain of said linl: elements, and saidrest elements and said deilector element being directly mounted on Lsaidstandards, and there being a plurality of said opstanding sheet supportssupported in the manner defined in generally parallel spaced relation encertain of said link elements.

CHAS. H. WHITAKER.

